✨ Last week’s concert with our Youth Chorus (15-21 yr olds) and Young Voices (11-15 yr olds) at @howardassemblyroom :
They performed a programme that moved seamlessly between classical, contemporary, and global influence, led by new Youth Chorus Master @alimcneill , who joined us a couple of months ago:
“I was particularly drawn to Opera North’s collaborative ethos and cross-artform work, including its integration of dance, visual storytelling and genre-blending projects.
The chance to work within this organisation with such talented young singers felt like a perfect fit”
Applications to join our Youth Company in Sep 2026 are open — register your interest via link in our story 🔗
📸: @charlies_portraits
We’re already 60% to our fundraising target for our match-funded Christmas Appeal ‘In Harmony: More Than Music’ 🎶
⤴️Help us reach it and donate via link in bio ⤴️
Hear from our Schools Programme Manager Niamh Byrne and In Harmony Programme Lead Stephen Laidlaw.
In Harmony Opera North engages over 3,200 children every week across 13 schools (42% of whom receive free school meals and 22% have special educational needs).
We deliver musicianship lessons, choirs and instrumental sessions — but this programme is about More Than Music, and develops a strong sense of community.
➡️ £10 could buy resources for classroom musicianship lessons
➡️ £20 could provide a new string or valve for an instrument
✨All donations will be matched £ for £ by an In Harmony Champion✨
Support our match-funded Christmas Appeal In Harmony: More Than Music 🎶
⤴️ Donate via link in bio ⤴️
In Harmony Opera North engages over 3,200 children every week across 13 schools (42% of whom receive free school meals and 22% have special educational needs).
We deliver musicianship lessons, choirs and instrumental sessions — but this programme is about More Than Music, and develops a strong sense of community:
“In Harmony continues to define our identity and ethos. It has brought communities together and acts as the unifying thread in the tapestry of our ongoing achievements”
— Andy Gamble, Executive Headteacher, Low Road and Windmill Music Federation
➡️ £10 could buy resources for classroom musicianship lessons
➡️ £20 could provide a new string or valve for an instrument
✨All donations will be matched £ for £ by an In Harmony Champion✨
On the opera stage at the age of 10 🤩
We’ve loved hearing from people who were part of this classic production of La bohème as children — from way back in 1993 and over the decades!
Here are Sam (12) and Anabella (10) — part of #ONBoheme this time.
Sam is a member of the Opera North Children’s Chorus, and Anabella is part of our community residency In Harmony, at Low Road Primary School.
As well as helping young people develop vocal technique, musicianship, and performance skills, members of our Youth Ensembles are invited to audition for opera on the mainstage!
La bohème is on:
📆 @GrandTheatreLS1 18 Oct-1 Nov
📆 @NewcastleTheatreRoyal 5-8 Nov
📆 @The_Lowry 12-15 Nov
📆 @RoyalNottingham 19-22 Nov
⤴️ Book via link in bio ⤴️
Our family-friendly show for 5–12 yr olds: The Big Opera Mystery! 🕵️
From the team behind 2024’s The Big Opera Adventure comes a brand new, 50-minute extravaganza...
...featuring a little bit of everything from Puccini to G&S, woven into a detective story and performed LIVE by the Orchestra of Opera North and four opera singers:
“A great introduction to opera. It was wonderful to see my 8-year-old son fully immersed in it all.”
📆 @GrandTheatreLS1 25 Oct
📆 @NewcastleTheatreRoyal 8 Nov
📆 @The_Lowry 15 Nov
📆 @RoyalNottingham 22 Nov
Thanks to @pasqualeorchard for introduction.
⤴️ Book via link in bio ⤴️
🕷️ Congrats to our Youth Chorus, Youth Orchestra and all involved with the “undoubted success” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (The Reviews Hub) that was The Secret of the Black Spider this past weekend!
For the first time ever, our youth ensembles opened the opera season @GrandTheatreLS1 :
“What a talented bunch of young people. After the first few minutes I forgot I was watching the youth company as the standard was just so high” — audience member
Conductor: Nicholas Shaw
Director: @rosie_kat
Set & Costume Design: @mansouri_designs
Lighting Design: @jakewiltshireld
📸: @jamesglossop
*****
The Opera North Youth Orchestra is for young musicians aged 16-25 (and/or still in full-time education) at Grade 8+ on their instrument, and is designed to help them transition into the professional world of music.
Our Youth Chorus helps young people aged 15–21 develop their singing voices, musicianship skills and movement skills – working with professional directors and more.
⤴️ Find out more via link in bio ⤴️
🎉 As we open the 2025-26 season, here's a look back over the past year and all that we have achieved.
A huge thank you to all our supporters for enabling us to Make Opera Vital 🙏
🕷️ Excited that our Youth Company will open the opera season with Judith Weir’s The Secret of the Black Spider 💪
Thanks to Akele, Charlie, Jeannot, Amelia and Lucy from the Youth Chorus for the plot synopsis 🤓
Based on the Swiss 1842 novella Die schwarze Spinne, the opera was written for school children in 1985 and has since travelled the world. This is the UK premiere of the 2008 ‘Hamburg’ version.
@GrandTheatreLS1 26-27 September, performed by the Opera North Youth Chorus and Youth Orchestra, directed by @rosie_kat .
⤴️ Book via link in bio ⤴️
Happy International Youth Day! 🎉 Here's our Youth Orchestra (of whom we're massively proud) in a side-by-side rehearsal with the Orchestra of Opera North.
Special event coming up:
🎻 For one day only: opportunity for any young musicians under 18 and Grade 4+ to play side-by-side with our Orchestra
📆Wednesday 27 August, 10am-3.30pm
📍Howard Opera Centre, Leeds
🎟️£15
See what it's like to be a member of our Youth Orchestra or Young Musicians Studio!
Sign up via link in our Story
🙌 Spotlight on our Youth Orchestra, which helps young musicians transition into the professional world.
Here’s a side-by-side rehearsal with the Orchestra of Opera North in action 🎻
Are you 16-25 yrs old and/or in full-time education at Grade 8+ on an instrument? We’re still looking for...
The Secret of the Black Spider (Jun–Sep 2025):
Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass
2025–26 season:
Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass, Harp
Oboe (& Cor Anglais), Bassoon (& Contrabassoon)
French Horn, Trombone
Percussion
⤴️ Apply via link in bio ⤴️
🎵🌸The weekend before last, our Children’s Chorus & Young Voices joined forces with the In Harmony Opera North choir for a special spring concert @howardassemblyroom :
“It’s a little miracle, watching these shows. How so many young people are able to come together, in such a short space of time, to deliver a show of such high quality...” — audience member
👏👏👏 to all who took part — on stage and behind the scenes!
📚 In Harmony now engages over 3,200 young people across 12 schools every week, delivering music education.
🎶 Opera North Children’s Chorus and Young Voices are part of our junior performing wing — keep an eye on our website for taster sessions.
📸: @ant_robling
🎻🎺🥁 Proud of the Opera North Youth Orchestra for their concert in Saltaire this past weekend:
Grace Williams’ Penillion Suite
Kurt Weill’s Symphonic Nocture on Lady in the Dark
Jean Sibelius’ Symphony No. 1
Join us! Are you 16-25 yrs old and/or in full-time education at Grade 8+ on an instrument? Applications close on Monday.
⤴️ Apply via link in bio ⤴️
ONYO is designed to help young musicians transition into the professional world of music:
💬 “We’re all from different places – some people are in sixth form college, some people are at uni, some at a conservatoire, but we all find common ground in music”
📸: @charlieswin_photos
